Operating means for power presses



Sept. 13, 1932 w. G. HUMPHREY 5 ,9

OPERATING MEANS FOR POWER PRESSES Filed Feb. 7. 1950 2 Shets-Sheet 1 RTTURNEY Sept. 13, 1932. w. G. HUMPHREY 1,876,944

- OPERATING mums FOR POWER Pmassns Filed Feb. 7, 1930 I 2 s eets-sheet 2 of elements Patented Sept. 13, 1932 UNITED STATES WILLIAM G. HUMPHREY, OF WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA OPERATING MEANS roe rowan rnnssns Application filed February 7, 1930. Serial No. 426,550.

This invention relates to safety devices for ower presses, and the primary ject of the invention is to provide novel and improved means for operating the press head so that but a single reciprocation thereof can be had at spaced intervals-of time.

A further object is to provide operating means for controlling the reciprocation of the press head which requires the exertion of minimum e'fiort on the part of the operator.

A still further object of the invention is to provide electrical means for the purpose which means requires opening of a manually controlled switch, preferably one of ordinary depressible type which is operated by the foot for each reciprocation of the head.

The invention further aims to provide means of the character set forth which assures positive operation of the head and but a single reciprocation thereof throughout the operation of the press.

With these and other objects in view, the invention resides in the features of construction, arrangement of parts and combination which will hereinafter be more particularly set forth, reference being herein had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a front elevation tion, parts being broken away;

Figure 2 .is an end elevation of Fig. 1;

Figure 3 is a section on line 3-3, Fi

Figure 4 is an enlarged detail view 0 ma net coil and associated parts; and

Figure 5 is a diagrammatic view of the circuits. I

Referring to said drawings, the reference numeral 1 designates the frame of any conventional form of power'press usual reciprocating head 2 operated by means of an eccentric 3 carried by the shaft 4, said shaft being driven by a pulley 5 and having a clutch 6 controlled by a dog or pawl 7. It will be understood that the invention of the inven- 2; the

is applicable to a punching press, stamplng' press, or any other press or machine in which there is involved a reciprocating head.

A solenoid 8 is housed in a casing 9 that is secured to a side of the frame 1, the solenoid having a reciprocating core or plunger 10 The free end of the arm .the reciprocating head 2 by means of a flexhaving the therein which is connected to the free end of a lever 11, said lever being pivoted at 12 to an extension 13 which may be formed integral with the casing 9. Swinging movement of the lever 11 may be controlled by a screw 14 which is carried by the extension 13 and which engages the rear or tail of said lever.

An arm 15 is pivoted to the frame at 16 and overlies the lever 11 and is connected thereto by means of a vertical rod 17 pivoted at its ends to the lever and to the arm. As shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings, the free end of the arm 15 is bifurcated and receives between its fur-cations an eye I 18 formed on the lever end of a rod 19., the'rod 19 being connected to the clutch dog 7 as shown in Fig. 1. A similar rod 20 has an eye 21 on its lower end, said eye being adjacent to the inner side of the bifurcated end of lever 15. A stud 22 has a part thereof extending through the bifurcation of the 18 and 21 so as to connect the rods 19 and 20 to the arm 15 and also connect the rod 17 to the arm 15.

Said rod 20 extends permanently fixed to the and has an adjustable-nut 24 engaged by a coil spring 25, the spring abutting theguide 23 and being mounted on the rod 20.

through a guide 23 frame 1 of the press A panel or casing 26 is secured to the frame and has a magnet coil 27 therein. A contact arm 28 is pivoted at one end, as at 40, in the casing 26 and is normally held by a coil spring 29 in engagement with a contact 30. 28 is connected to ible cord or connection 31, as a section of cat-gut.

Referring to the diagram illustrated in Fig. 5 of the drawings, it will be noted that the solenoid 8 is connected bya wire 32 to a battery or other source of electrical energy 33 and is further connected by a wire 34 to the contact 30. A branch wire 35; leads from the wire 32 to the magnet coil 27, while another wire 36 leads from the contact 30 and arm 28 back to-th battery. A conventional form of depressible type spring switch 37 is interposed in the wire-'36 and is located at thereon which is lever and through the eyes crosshead 2 cannot the floor line so as to be readily accessible for operation by the foot of the operator. The wires 35 and 36 are housed in conduit 38, as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 4.

In operation, the operator depresses or moves the foot switch 37 to closed position, thus closing the circuit through the solenoid 8 and energizing the latter, whereupon the core or plunger 10 is moved downwardly and, through the parts 11, 17 15 and 19, the clutch dog 7 is actuated and moved tothe dotted line position shown inFig. 1, thus causing the'head to be moved downwardly by the shaft 4. The circuit which thus energizes the solenoid upon closing of the switch passes through the switch 37, wire 36, arm 28, contact 30, wire 34, the solenoid 8, and wire 32 back to the source of electrical energy.

When the crosshead 2 reaches its down position, the flexible connection 31 connected to said head moves the arm 28 out of engagement with the contact 30 and into engagement with the magnet coil 27, energizing the latter and causing same to hold said arm 28 in the dotted line position shown in Figs. 1,4 and 5. This shunts the circuit through the solenoid 8, said circuit then traveling from the source of energy through the switch 37, wire 36, arm 28, magnet coil 27, wire'35 and wire 32 back to said source.

Obviously, as long as the switch 37 is kept closed and the magnet coil 27 remains energized, no current can pass through said solenoid 8. Therefore, in order to again energize the solenoid 8, the switch 37 must be opened to break the circuit through the magnet coil 27 thereby to release the arm 28 and, through the spring 29, restore the parts to normal position.

Immediately upon shunting of the circuit, as aforesaid, the released tension of the spring 25, which latter was compressed upon the downward movement of the arm 15 through the core 10, moves the arm and associated parts to normal upward position, which again restores the dog 7 to normal position so that said dog will engage the clutch after said clutch has made but a single revolution. As above stated, the foot switch is then opened and the partsrestored to normal position, so that another reciprocation of the be made until the foot switch is again closed.

It will be noted that, of the connection 31, not interfere in any manner with the upward movement of the described mechanism.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that in order to operate the crosshead, it is merely necessary for theoperator to depress or trip the foot switch, thus requiring a minimum of effort on the part of the operator as distin- "uished from the prior art wherein foot evers requiring considerable effort on the due to the flexibility said connection does port of the operator must be manipulated in order to operate the head. The present invention, therefore, reduces fatigue on the part of the operator and accomplishes the entire control of the crosshead through simple and purely electrically actuated means thereby resulting in the production of a better quality of ware and the speeding up of production.

What is claimed is 1. Operating means for power presses having a reciprocal head and means for operating the head including a clutch dog, compris ing a solenoid having a core, a pivoted lever connected to the core, a pivoted arm above the lever, a rod connecting the lever and arm, a spring device connected to the arm to normally hold same and thereby the lever in inoperative position, means to connect the arm to said clutch dog to operate the latter, a magnet coil, a pivoted spring-held contact arm associated with said coil, a contact normally engaged by said contact arm,'a switch,

a circuit including said solenoid, the coil, the switch, the contact and the contact arm, and a flexible connection between the reciprocal head and the contact arm for operating the latter upon the working stroke of the head.

2. Operating means for power presses having a reciprocal head and means for operating a solenoid having a core, a pivoted lever connected to the core so as to be operated thereby, means to normally hold the lever inoperative, means actuated by the lever to operate the dog, a magnet coil, a pivoted spring retracted arm associated with the coil, a contact normally engaged by said contact arm, a switch, a circuit including the solenoid, the coil, the switch, the contact and the contact arm, and means operable by the head to move the contact arm into engagement with the magnet coil so as to shunt the solenoid upon the head moving downwardly.

3. Operating means for power presses having a reciprocal head and means for eflecting operation of the head, comprising energizable means for rendering said head operating means efl'ective, magnetic means, means movable to engage the magnetic means to be held thereby, a contact normally engaged by said movable means, a. switch, a circuit including the energizable means, said contact, said switch and said movable means, means operable by the head to actuate said movable means to cause same to engage the magnetic means and thereby shunt the energizable means upon the downward movement of the head, and means for restoring the energizable means to normal position upon shunting thereof.

4. Operating means for power presses having a reciprocal head and means for rendering the head operative, comprising electrically controlled means for actuating said first ing the head including a clutch dog, comprismeans, a switch, a circuit includin said electrically controlled means and t e switch,

- means in the circuit for shunting the electrically controlled means, means operable by the head upon downward movement thereof for rendering said shunting means operative, and means for restoring the electrical- 1y controlled means to normal position followin shunting thereof. V

5. perating means for power presses having a reciprocal head and means for rendering the head operative, comprising electrical means for efli'ecting operation of said first means, other electrical means, means operable by the head for energizing said other electrical means upon the head reaching its downward position so as to shunt the first electrical means, a circuit including both of said electrical means, and a manual control for the circuit included therein for energizing said first electrical means and for breaking the circuit through said second electrical means.

6. Operating means for power presses having a reciprocal head and means for imparting movement thereto, comprising manual control means, electrical means operable by said control means for rendering said head moving means operative, means for shunting said electrical means and for mainfaining same shunted until release of the manual control means, and a circuit including said manual control means, said electrical means and said shunting means.

In testimony whereof, I afllx my signature.

WILLIAM G. HUMPHREY. 

